Mortar



United States Patent Oflice 3,208,862 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 3,208,862 MORTAR Ben Davies, Pittsburgh, and Donald 0. McCreight, Bethel Park, Pa., assignors to Harbison-Walker Refractories Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvanla No Drawing. Filed Feb. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,179

16 Claims. (Cl. 10666) This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 312,895, filed October 1, 1963, and having the same title and inventors, which has been abandoned in favor of this application.

This invention relates to retractor nlorgr In a particular embodiment, it relates to improved chemically basic mortars, particularly suited for laying up burned, basic refractory brick and shapes of the chrome oremagnesia type. By brick of the chrome ore-magnesia type we mean a brick in which the chrome ore content, on a weightbasis, exceeds the magnesia content. As a rule, commercially available brick of this type have from 80 to 60% chrome ore and 20 to 40% magnesia in the batches from which they are made.

A good refractory mortar should have acceptable workability (so it can be trowelled), resistance to stiffening and tearing during working or trowelling, good adhesion or adherence to the shapes it is to hold in place, and should have good strength after the structure in which it is used is heated to operating temperatures. Most mortars of which we know have all or most of the foregoing properties, at least to an acceptable degree.

Another important characteristic, which good refractory mortar should have, is the ability to resist the molten metal, slag and furnace fumes it will contact when it is in service. It is most desirable that its resistance to these materials be at least as good as the brick or shapes with which the mortar is to be used. For example, in copper converters, chrome ore-magnesia brick are commonly employed as at least a part of the molten metal-contacting lining thereof and the mortar used to lay up the brick desirably is at least as good as the brick in resistance to copper converter process parameters.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved refractory mortar, particularly suited for laying up burned basic shapes and particularly those of the chrome ore-magnesia type. It is another and a specific object of this invention to provide an improved mortar particularly suitable for laying up chrome ore-magnesia brick of the type used to fabricate molten metal contacting portions of copper converters.

Briefly, a mortar, according to the concepts of this invention, on the basis of dry solids, and by weight on an oxide basis, will contain at least about 40% of Cr O and preferably not more than 80% Cr O' F6t'ihTis less critical than certain other requirements. Of the total 0,0, by analysis, at least about 10 and, preferably, less than about 40% must be in the form of very finely divided high purity green chromg seisgmloxide... The preferred mortar further include? a sodiuggilicatebopd and a minor amount of a ball cla plasfic ien'for example, about 8 parts ofjgswm cate having a sodium oxide to silicon dioxide ratio on the order of about 1:2 to 1:3 is satisfactory.

It is preferred that the selgc t edflgme ore have about 50%, by weight, 01'203, on the basis of an oxide analysis but other grades are also satisfactory. Particularly satisfactory are TurkrigMU-EEJQLJEEM having the following exemplary chemical an yses:

Turkish, Philippine,

percent percent Magnesia (MgO) 18. 6 18. 9 I nition 1, 0

Generally, the ores which are useable are of the refractory or metallurgical types which grades are typified by Cr O content ranging from just a little under to just a little above 50% by weight.

All chrome pres contribute MgO to the analysis of the bat clif' lf desired, a minor amount of magnesium pxide (magnefiaTcan be added to the mortar; but it is not ess'ntialf and there are definite limitations on its use. It is found that the Cr O to MgO ratio of the entire batch, by weight, on an oxide basis, must exceed about 3:1.

The refractory components of the optimum mortar excluding the bond forming ingredients mentioned previously should contain at least 55%, by weight, Cr O on an oxide analysis. At least of this, 10% or more must be added, as high purity green chrome sesquioxide.

The chromic oxide used in our composition is the ma- .terial so described in the chemical trade. It is available in grades with such descriptions as (1) technical, (2) CR, and (3) 99%, each considered to have a purity in excess of 97%, and being fine ground. These are the materials commonly used as paint pigments, for ceramic coloring, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Of the material ordinarily shipped, 98% minimum will pass 325 mesh. It is material of the kind, in technical gra e that we prefer to use. Scattering of particles up to the coarsest grains in our mortars (28 mesh) would do no harm except to diminish to some degree the effectiveness of the Cr O as a chemical additive. Chromic oxide is water insoluble, in contrast to chromic acid (anhydride); this is .derived from the bonding agents. Our work has shown clearly that mortars which derive their entire cr,o, content from the chrome ore do not have the slag resistance which characterize the products of our invention. In fact, it is the inadequacy of such mortars which led to the extensive studies which resulted in our invention.

A preferred mortar composition according to this invention is comprised of 30%, by weight, of the pigment grade green chromic sesquioxide, about 60% Turkish chrome ore, 9.0% of selected bonds, such as sodium silicate of the type above discussed, and including 1% of a ball clay plasticizer. If one desired, up to about 1% of a commercial grade starch-type ingredient or equivalent, such as com-starch, can be added. Other examples are as follows: 7

wglyvdgpmsqdhlmsilinate as the bond, other bonds reco e by those sfilled in the refractories art can be used. For example: water soluble chromates, such as sodium chromate; water soluble sulfates, such as sodium sulfate; can be used when a minor amount of magnesia is present. various plkaline phosphates are .also recognized more art as suitable additiveswith chrome orecontaining refractory materials. Also, liquid sodium sili; cate can be used, but this requires that the batch contain no active magnesia, not even the usual dead burned type.

The ball clay, sodium silicate, and pigment grade green chrome sesquioxide are all fine ground. The chrome ore constituent (and a minor amount of magnesia, if so desired) is all 28 mesh and the major portion of it is +150 mesh. Thus, it can be stated that the chrome ore is approximately 40% +65 mesh and 60%65 mesh. We prefer that substantially all of the chrome ore be of greater size than 325 mesh, but up to about 20 or 30% can be 325 mesh.

An exemplary sizing for the chrome ore is as follows:

Sizings are according to the Tyler series of sieves or screens unless otherwise specifically stated.

In a series of tests, varying proportions of batch ingredients, identified hereafter, were dry mixed for about five minutes in a small mixer, and then for an additional five minutes in the same mixer with a water addition. The 3 water was added in a quantity suflicient to supply about 20 parts, by weight, of water to each 100 parts of the dry mix. These proportions of water and dry ingredients are considered fairly typical of that required to bring a mortar mix of this type to a suitable working consistency. The various batches were used to join halves of identical test specimens. Each specimen was, in fact, a 4% x 4 x 2 brick (one half a nominal 9 inch straight in the refractories industry) which had been sawed in two. The two pieces were then joined together with the various ingredients mixtures. The test brick consisted of about 80 parts of chrome ore (Phillippine type) and about 20 parts of magnesia, and had been burned to a temperature of about 2900 F. The mortar joint was about A thick.

The test brick or specimens joined with the various ingredients mixtures or mortars were placed in a furnace with an upper surface inclined at an angle of about 30 relative to the horizontal (or the bottom of the furnace), and were oriented in such a way that molten slag could be dripped'onto the mortar joint near the upper end and run down along the joint. About 800 grams were dripped on each specimen. We conducted such a slag test, in an electric furnace at 2500 F., with a reducing atmosphere which was maintained by placing coke on the furnace hearth which coke was replenished hourly. The slag was copper converter slag and it had approximately the following analysis, by weight, and on an oxide analysis:

Percent Silica (SiO 27.9 Alumina (Al- 0 5.0 Iron oxide (Fe O 61.0 Chromic oxide (Cr O Lime (CaO) 1.5 Magnesia (MgO) 1.0 Copper oxide (CuO) 1.5 Sulfur (S) 0.5 Soda (Na 0) 1.0 Potash (K 0) 1.0 Lithia (U 0) 0.5

We prepared a group of ingredient mixtures having the same compositions noted below, ground to the desired mortar size grading.

Table I Mixes A B C D E Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Chromic oxide 40 30 20 10 Turkish chrome ore. 50.9 60.9 70. 9 80.9 Philippine chrome ore 90. 9 Sodium silicate 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 7. 5 1. 5 1. 5 1. 5 1. 5 1. 5 0. 1 0. 1 0.1 0. 1 0. 1

65. 4 60. 4 55. 4 50. 4 31. 4 MgO 9. 5 11. 3 13. 2 l5. 0 17. 2 Ratio Cr OIIMgOH 6.9 5.3 4.2 3.3 1.8

The resulting mortar mixtures were used to join brick in the manner just described, and subjected to a slag drip test, also just described. The results were set forth in Table II.

Table II A B C D E Dripping slag test on mortar joint at 2500 F. (800 grams a Depth of corrosion at in hes j t, c 0 0 Corrosion rating 0. 05 None 1 Very slight.

' Slight.

I Considerable. 4 Severe.

The above testing established the remarkable resistance of the mortar of this invention to penetration and corrosion by copper converter slag. Mix E was included as representative of the best chrome bonding mortars previously available. The most perfunctory inspection of this test sample, with corrision almost to a depth of an inch, re-

side the range. It gives notable and worthwhile improvement, but we ordinarily would think it best to use 20% or more.

These tests closely relate to service experience. Ordinarily in a furnace structure the slag and corrosive metals contact only a plane surface of refractory made up of brick and thin mortar joints. When, as is often the case, the mortar is more easily corroded than the refractory brick, the joints become cut away, allowing the corrosive agents to penetrate deeply into the structure. The result is that the slag is allowed to work its way into the joints and sometimes even behind the inner course of brick so that the brick are corroded from several directions simultaneously. Early furnace failure is a common result. It is for these reasons that this invention takes on such great importance.

Still further studies were conducted to establish the relative suitability of other types of chrome ore, such as Philippine ore, to be used in mortars compounded in accordance with the invention. The analysis of this ore has been given previously. The tests established that Philippine chrome ore is substantially equivalent to the preferred Turkish chrome ore mortar component. Test mortars were made with Philippine chrome ore and 20 to 30%, by weight, of chrome sesquioxide with the same bonds as detailed in Table I, their characteristics being as shown in Table HI:

Joint test specimens were prepared in the same manner above discussed, and subjected to the slag drip test. The amount of slag per specimen was doubled (to 1600 grams) to increase the severity of test. After this test the amount of corrosion was negligible in amount, and comparable to Mixes C and B of Table I. It will be noted that Mix E of Table I serves as a control mix for comparison with F and G, since it also was made with Philippine ore. However, this unsatisfactory mix of the prior art contained no added chromic oxide, and its Cr O /MgO ratio was only 1.8.

It is a fairly common matter to include dead burned or caustic magnesia in chrome base refractory bonding mortars. We have tested a good many mortars of the type represented by our invention, with additions of this constituent. In the main we do not consider the added magnesia as helpful. This is certainly true of resistance to slags of the type used in our tests. Still there is a certain advantage in physical properties since a magnesia addition to chrome ore refractories tends to reduce the shrinkage which occurs on heating. Therefore, so long as the added magnesia does not result in a Cr O /MgO ratio below about 3.0, we consider its addition as feasible and in some cases desirable. Simple calculations will show that for a mortar mix containing 40% added chromic oxide, little more'than magnesia could be added without dropping below a Cr O /MgO ratio of 3.0. As our test data imply, ratios lower than this may impair slag resistance.

These relationships regarding magnesia addition may be better illustrated by the mixes of Table IV. These are selected from a considerable number of mortar mixes, some of which are omitted to avoid redundancy.

Table IV E I J FINN OQO one ggg were ass (OI- 1 Very slight.

I Slight.

1 Moderate.

4 Considerable.

The mortars of Table IV used the same materials and were prepared and tested in the same way as the mixes of Table I except that the base mixes were precalcined at 3140 F. and then reground before adding the bonds to produce the mortars. This difference is believed to be without significance for our purposes. It will be noted that mixes H and I, which contained 20% added magnesia, had a satisfactory degree of slag resistance, also that this correlates with Cr 0 /MgO ratios of 3.4 and 2.9, but that to retain these high ratios it was necessary to add 70% and 60% of chromic oxide. This brings about high costs since the chromic oxide is about three times as expensive as any of the other ingredients. It is for this reason that our preferred mixes contain no more than about 40% added chromic oxide, although higher amounts may be used.

While the mortar of this invention is especially useful with chrome ore-magnesia type basic brick, it can also be used with other basic brick of the art recognized group all magnesia or magnesite, all chrome ore, and magnesiachrome ore.

Having thus described the invention in detail and with suliicient particularity as to enable those skilled in the art to practice it, what is desired to have protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. As a refractory mortar for joining burned basic refractory brick of the group chrome ore, magnesia, mag nesia-chrome ore, and chrome ore-magnesia, a dry mixture suitable for mixing with water and consisting essentially of chrome ore and green chrome sesquioxide together with up to about 10%, by weight, of clay plasticizer and water-soluble binder, the chrome ore ingredient being of at least about 50%, by weight, Cr O and constituting from 50 to 70 parts, by weight, of the mix, the green chrome sesquioxide amounting to from 10 to 30 parts, by weight, of the mixture, said clay plasticizer and watersoluble binder constituting the remainder, the total Cr- O to MgO ratio of the batch, by weight, on an oxide analysis, exceeding 3:1.

2. A composition of the type described in claim 1 in which the Cr 0 content of the batch, by weight, on the basis of an oxide analysis, is from 50 to 70%, and at least about 10% of the batch Cr O analysis being contributed by the green chrome sesquioxide.

3. A composition of the type described in claim 1 in which the total Cr O analysis, by weight and on the basis of an oxide analysis, of the chrome ore and green chrome sesquioxide, is between 55 and 4. A composition of the type described in claim 1 in which the chrome ore is Turkish chrome ore.

5. A dry refractory batch suitable for mixing with water for use as a mortar for joining basic refractory brick, said batch consisting essentially of chrome ore, green chrome sesquioxide, and up to about 10% by weight, of clay plasticizer and water-soluble hinder, the Cr O and MgO contents of the batch, by weight on the basis of an oxide analysis, having a ratio exceeding about 3.0, the total Cr O content of the batch being between 40 and 80%, at least about 10% of the Cr O being supplied by the chrome sesquioxide.

6. The dry refractory batch of claim 5 in which the chrome ore is Turkish chrome ore.

7. The dry refractory batch of claim 5 including a minor amount of magnesia but in which the Cr O to MgO oxide analysis ratio, by weight, of the total batch exceeds about 3:1.

8. The dry refractory batch of claim 5 in which all of the constituents pass a 28 mesh screen, 20 to 30% rest on a 65 mesh screen with the remainder being 65 mesh.

9. The dry refractory batch of claim 8 in which about 20 to 50% of the total dry refractory batch is --325 mesh.

10. The dry refractory batch of claim 5 in which the chrome ore and green chrome sesquioxide are added to the batch in the form of presintered grain.

11. The dry refractory batch of claim 7 in which the chrome ore, green chrome sesquioxide and magnesia are added to the batch in the form of presintered grain.

12. As a refractory mortar for joining burned basic refractory brick of the group chrome ore, magnesia, magnesia-chrome ore, and chrome ore-magnesia, a dry mixture suitable for mixing with water and consisting essentially of chrome ore and green chrome sesquioxide together with up to about 10%, by weight, of clay plasticizer and water-soluble hinder, the chrome ore constituting from 40 to about 80 parts, by weight, of the mix, the green chrome sesquioxide amounting to from 10 to 40 parts, by weight, of the mix, clay plasticizer and watersoluble binder constituting the remainder, the total cr,o, to MgO ratio of the batch, by weight, on an oxide analysis, exceeding 3:1.

13. A composition of the type described in claim 12 in which the chrome ore is Philippine chrome ore concentrates.

14. As a dry refractory batch suitable for mixing with binders and water to form a refractory mortar for joining burned basic refractory brick of the group chrome ore, magnesia, magnesia-chrome ore, and chrome oremagnesia, a mixture consisting essentially of chrome ore and green chrome sesquioxide, the chrome ore constituting from 40 to about 80 parts, by weight, of the mix, the green chrome sesquioxide amounting to from 10 to 40 parts, by weight, of the mix.

15. As a refractory mortar for joining burned basic refractory brick of the group chrome ore, magnesia, magnesia-chrome ore, and chrome ore-magnesia, a dry mixture suitable for mixing with water and consisting essentially of chrome ore, green chrome sesquioxide and magnesia together with up to about 10% by weight, of clay plasticizer and water-soluble binder, the chrome ore ingredients being of at least about 50%, by weight, Cr O and constituting from to parts, by weight, of the mix, the green chrome sesquioxide amounting to from 10 to 30 parts, by weight, of the mixture, the clay plasticizers and water-soluble binder and the magnesia constituting the remainder, the total Cr O to MgO ratio of the batch, by weight, on an oxide analysis, exceeding 3:1.

16. As a dry refractory batch suitable for mixing with bonds and water to form a refractory mortar for joining burned basic refractory brick of the group chrome ore, magnesia, magnesia-chrome ore, and chrome ore-magnesia, a mixture consisting essentially of chrome ore, green chrome sesquioxide and magnesia, the chrome ore constituting from 40 to about parts, by weight, of the mix, the green chrome sesquioxide amounting to from 10 to 40 parts, by weight, of the mix, the total Cr O to MgO ratio of the batch by weight based on an oxide analysis, exceeding 3:1.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,514,812 11/24 Youngman 106-66 3,138,469 6/64 Craig et al. 106-59 TOBIAS E. LEVOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. AS A FREFRACTORY MORTAR FOR JOINING BURNED BASIC REFRACTORY BRICK OF THE GROUP CHROME ORE, MAGNESIA, MAGNESIA-CHROME ORE, AND CHROME ORE-MAGNESIA, A DRY MIXTURE SUITABLE FOR MIXING WITH WATER AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF CHROME ORE AND GREEN CHROME SESQUIOXIDE TOGETHER WITH UP TO ABOUT 10%, BY WEIGHT, OF CLAY PLASTICIZER AND WATER-SOLUBLE BINDER, THE CHROME ORE INGREDIENT BEING OF AT LEAST ABOUT 50%, BY WEIGHT, CR2O3 AND CONSTITUTING FROM 50 TO 70 PARTS, BY WEIGHT, OF THE MIX, THE GREEN CHROME SESQUIOXIDE AMOUNTING TO FROM 10 TO 30 PARTS, BY WEIGHT, OF THE MIXTURE, SAID CLAY PLASTICIZER AND WATERSOLUBLE BINDER CONSTITUTING THE REMAINDER, THE TOTAL CR2O3 TO MGO RATIO OF THE BATCH, BY WEIGHT, ON AN OXIDE ANALYSIS, EXCEEDING 3:1. 